Water and Wastewater Terms Beginning A

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

alkalinity (al-kuh-lin-it-tee)

The capacity of water or wastewater to neutralize acids. This capacity is caused by the water's content of carbonate, bicarbonate, hydroxide, and occasionally borate, silicate, and phosphate. Alkalinity is expressed in milligrams per liter of equivalent calcium carbonate. Alkalinity is not the same as pH because water does not have to be strongly basic (high pH) to have a high alkalinity. Alkalinity is a measure of how much acid must be added to a liquid to lower the pH to 4.5.